Sony E 16mm f/2.8 Review (Part 1)

Shadows. f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 400

 This is a user review of the Sony 16mm f/2.8 (SEL16F28), a wide angle pancake lens for Sony E-mount, as used on the Sony a6000.  I've had several ultrawide lenses for Nikon (Tokina 11-16, Sigma 10-20 3.5, Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6, Tokina 10-17 fisheye) and the Samyang 2.8 fisheye for m4/3.  Compared to those lenses, the 16 2.8 is unique because it can convert from a wide angle 24mm equivalent, to an ultrawide 18mm equivalent (with the VCL-ECU1 ultrawide converter), to a rectilinear fisheye (VCL-ECF1 fisheye converter).  With the converters, it is like having 3 lenses in 1.  Even better, the 16 2.8 and the converters are affordably priced.  But how well do they perform?  In this post, I will discuss the 16 2.8.  In Part 2 of this post, I will discuss the two converters (Part 2 here).

3/4/15 UPDATE: Sony just announced the VCL-ECU2 ultrawide converter and VCL-ECF2 fisheye converter.  Supposedly, the VCL-ECU1 and ECF1 were compatible only with the 16 2.8, whereas the ECU2 and ECF2 are compatible with both the 16 2.8 and the Sony 20 2.8.  However, it appears that the only difference is that the ECU2 and ECF2 have a black finish that match the appearance of the 20 2.8.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels

Last year, I had a chance to visit the cathedral of Los Angeles, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels, which has amazing post-modern architecture.  Here are some photos I took (click on any photo for a higher-res version).

Ultrawide Portraits with the Sigma 10-20

This is a hands-on review of the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6, an affordable ultrawide lens for crop sensor cameras.

This lens has been around for a couple of years and has already been reviewed in detail in several websites.  If you would like to know how about its sharpness, distortion, chromatic aberration and so forth, check these reviews:

• DPReview including their lens comparison tool.
• Photozone (Canon version here and Nikon version here)
• Thom Hogan

Instead, this review will focus on what it's like to use this lens in the field, particularly for people photos.  In Part 1 of this post, we'll have a look at some of the ways an ultrawide can be used for shots of people.  In Part 2, we'll discuss some characteristics of ultrawides to make better use of them.  In Part 3, we'll talk about the Sigma 10-20.

Environmental Portrait: Go Short or Long?

If you were to take an environmental portrait, should you use a short focal length or long focal length?